Vaginal speculum.



No. 672,239. Patented Apr. l6, l90l.

C. J. FILLING.

VAGINAL SPECULUM.

(Application filed May 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ow. 46% ///&7

A rvomvsr UNITED STATES PA'IET tron.

CHARLES J. PILLING, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF- AND GEORGE P. FILLING, (OOPARTNERS TRADING AS GEORGE P. PILLING 8r SON,) OF SAME PLACE.

'VAGINAL SPECULUIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672, 3 dated April 6, 1901- Application filed May 21, 1900. Serial No. 17,444. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. PILLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vaginal Speculums, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompan yin g drawings,formin g a part of this speci- IO fication.

My invention relates to surgical instruinents of the class of bivalvular vaginal specuums.

It has for its object to increase the efficiency of the instrument, effected by the modifications in construction hereinafter described.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 isaside elevation, Fig. 2 a plan view, Fig. 3 a vertical section, and Fig. 4 an end View, of the detached lower member of the instrument.

The general form of the device in respect of having a lower blade or member A with a downwardly-projecting stem a, on which the adj usting-screw T is mounted, and with ears I) b, to which a single upper movable blade or a pair of movable blades B B arehinged at (1, said movable blades having operating-arms ff, is old. At the point where the said mov- 3o able members B are hinged to the ears of the blade A it is preferable to construct the device With a lock or key m, which is in the form of a washer having an open end to enable it to be driven around the projecting end of the 5 pivot-pin, its free end being then let into the operating-arm f of the blade B. Such is the general character of speculums now in use. To remedy certain of its more prominent defects, I give strength and rigidity to and at the same time provide a drainage-channel in the lower fixed blade or member A by extending the concavity of the blade to its downwardly-projecting stem 0., so as to form a continuous unbroken concavitynarrowing into a groove or gutter in the stem a, open at the end, and I apply the same principle of construction to the upper and movable blade or blades B B, though only for the purpose of securing rigidity, and hence consequent capacity of being made lighter in weight.

Another and equally important novel fea-' blade (or divided blade in a trivalvular device positively in both directions. One end of the screw T is fixedly mounted in the end of the stem of the blade A, projecting rearwardly, and on the free end of said screw T I provide an annularly-grooved collar S with a thumb-piece s, the collar being centrally recessed and screw-threaded to reciprocate on the operating-screw T of the instrument. The free ends of the o perating-arms f f of the movable blade or blades B B rest in the annular groove of the collar S. Hence a turning of the latter by its thumb-piece in either direction will respectively raise and lower the movable blade or blades B B and will effect that operation with perfect uniformity as to both blades, if a divided blade is employed, and in both directions by positive action in either a bivalvular or a trivalvular speculum.

Having thus described my invention, I

I claim as new- 1. In a speculum, the combination with a lower and fixed member, composed of an integral blade and downwardly-extending supporting-stem, substantially at right angles to each other, and formed with a continuous concavity, of avmovable upper member pivotally mounted upon said lower and fixed member and having an operating-arm, a rear wardly-projecting screw fixedly mounted on the supporting-stem of the lower member,and an annularly-grooved screw-collar thereon, into the groove of which collar the end of said operating-arm projects, substantially as described.

2. In a speculum the combination with a lower or fixed member composed of blade A, stem at, with ears I) b, of a pair of movable upper members each having an operating-arm f pivotally connected to one of said ears I) b, a rearwardly-proj ectin g fixed screw T mounted upon the stem a, an annularlygrooved screwcollar S with thumb-piece s, the free ends of the operating-armsfprojectinginto the groove of the collar: substantially as described.

3. In a speculum, the combination with a lower member composed of ablade having a downwardly-extending supporting-stein substantially at right angles thereto, said lower member formed with a continuous concavity, a rearwardly-projectin g screw fixedly mounted on the supporting-stem of the lower member, and an annularly-grooved screw-collar thereon adapted to receive the operating-arm of a pivotally-mounted upper member.

4. In a speculum, the combination with the lower member composed of a blade having a downwardly-extending supporting-stem substantially at right angles thereto,a rearwardlyprojecting screw fixedly mounted on the supporting-stem of the lower member, and an annularly-grooved screw-collar thereon adapted to receive the operating-arm of a pivotally mounted upper member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affiXed my signature this 17th day of May, A. D. 1900.

I CHARLES J. FILLING.

Witnesses:

ANDREW V. GROUPE, H. T. FENTON. 

